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July 14, 2014

…donated books to the Little Free Library

As I’ve been packing up my East Village apartment ahead of moving, I’ve been thinking about where I can donate the alarming collection of stuff I never use. I plan to take most of it to the Housing Works in SoHo, but I thought I’d share my books with the people of New York City. There was only one option: New York’s Little …

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January 6, 2014

…review the best and worst of NYC

*** This post was first shared in January 2014 after I finished a year of doing a new activity in New York every day. This blog is largely defunct so this post is a great place to start if you’re visiting New York and looking for things to do! For more on this project, visit …

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November 16, 2013

…saw the Frick Collection

Saturday = Tourist Day. Today I went to the Frick Collection, an art museum on the east side of Central Park and the sort of place that features on tourist ‘to do’ lists. But while it’s a famous spot, I had zero idea what would be inside. As it turns out, it’s filled with recognizable paintings by the European masters, …

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November 8, 2013

…visited the Morgan Library

All year I’ve struggled with museum opening times. There are hundreds of museums and galleries across the city, but most close by 5 or 6pm, shutting us workers out. Thankfully I’ve begun to realize that they don’t ignore us entirely, because a handful throw open their doors late one night a week – and entry …

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October 24, 2013

…went to a literary night

All year I’ve seen literary readings – prose and poetry – popping up on events calendars but it has taken me 10-and-a-half months to go to one. And this was definitely a great pick as my friend Jim was reading some of his work – and it was cracking. I headed to No. 8, a …

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October 17, 2013

…browsed Bauman Rare Books

I managed to slink out of work earlier than normal today so I made a beeline for a place I’ve long been eyeing: Bauman Rare Books in Midtown. I jumped off the E train at 53rd and 5th and walked a couple of blocks to the store before it closed. Bauman Rare Books is exactly …

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August 28, 2013

…met the original Winnie the Pooh

I grew up just a stone’s throw away from Hartfield in West Sussex, where the stories of Winnie the Pooh and his friends were created. If you remember, earlier this year when I was back in England, I even played the characters’ favourite game, Pooh Sticks, at the bridge that inspired it. And even though I’m now …

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July 8, 2013

…marvelled at a reading in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Tonight I hopped on the F train to Dumbo for a reading in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I expected to listen to some sedate paragraphs while lolling about in the grass but I got much, much more – a spectacular view of Manhattan, a masterclass in animation and that ‘I love New York’ warmth. The reading …

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June 7, 2013

…visited New York’s tiniest library

Tropical Storm Andrea is visiting and she’s a pretty bad guest. So as I scuttled home tonight, narked by the downpour, I spotted one of the city’s small pop up libraries on Prince Street and nipped inside for some shelter. Now, when I say small, we’re talking mini. Inside this library – which is one …

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May 28, 2013

…joined a New York library

It rained today. Not good rain – manky, sideways, soggy rain that seeped into my shoes and left me wanting to hide inside. It also washed my after-work event right off the calendar so I was left wondering what to do. Then I realised it was the perfect day to complete something I’ve been vowing …

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April 29, 2013

…went to the hotel where Stephen King wrote The Shining

Last night, as we recuperated from our day of exertion, we popped on The Shining. I don’t know if any of us actually made it through the entire movie (blame the two-hour time difference) but we were inspired enough to visit the hotel where Stephen King wrote the novel. The Stanley Hotel was near our …

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April 22, 2013

…attended a story time for adults

This blog has always been about making the most of opportunities. Well, in a bizarre twist, it backfired a little tonight. I was standing outside the New York Library trying to figure out how to get inside for a storytelling evening when I locked eyes with a dashing young man who was having a similar …

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March 14, 2013

…played Pooh Sticks

After a joyous eight-hour delay in Edinburgh airport yesterday, I finally made it to my parents’ house in West Sussex. And this morning I appreciated the countryside with a visit to Pooh Bridge in Ashdown Forest to play pooh sticks with my Dad. The game is the creation of A. A. Milne, the author of …

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March 4, 2013

…read in the New York Public Library’s Reading Room

It’s been a busy weekend of moving, throwing a house cooling party, cleaning and catching colds. So today when I chanced it out of work nearly an hour early, I decided to use the time to recuperate. I headed to 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue for the New York City Public Library. Somehow I’d never …

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February 27, 2013

…saw photos by Allen Ginsberg

In my post-cocktail fog this morning, I splurged on a camera thinking that it’s about time this blog had some semi decent photos. So in the two days it should take for it to arrive, I’m seeking some tips and inspiration. Tonight I went to an exhibition of photography by Allen Ginsberg at NYU’s Grey …

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February 15, 2013

…bought a book from The Strand

This must be a New York City rite of passage, so how have I never bought a book from The Strand before? For those of you not from New York, The Strand is a massive independent bookstore just south of Union Square and filled with 18 miles of books – new books, used books, rare …

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January 9, 2013

…met one of my favourite writers

This is why I love New York. About four years ago, I devoured The Year of Living Biblically – a book documenting one man’s mission to live by the rules of the Bible – and now, I can just head out and meet that man: A. J. Jacobs.

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